Georgia’s ‘Remotely from Georgia’ Program: Eligibility & Application

Georgia’s Remotely from Georgia Programme: Eligibility and Application in 2026

If you have been searching for an honest breakdown of Georgia’s Remotely from Georgia programme, you have probably already hit a wall of outdated blog posts written during the 2021 launch rush. The rules have shifted, the tax regime has been clarified, and the 2026 version of this programme is meaningfully different from what most articles describe. This guide covers the current eligibility criteria, the actual application steps, and the financial reality of running your working life from Georgia today.

What the Remotely from Georgia Programme Actually Is

Remotely from Georgia is a formal government initiative run by Enterprise Georgia, a state agency under the Ministry of Economy. It is not a visa. Georgia already allows citizens of around 100 countries to enter and stay visa-free for up to 365 days. What this programme does is sit on top of that right and give remote workers a package of practical benefits in exchange for registering officially.

The core benefit is access to a preferential tax status: the Individual Entrepreneur (IE) small business regime, which taxes qualifying income at just 1% of turnover. Alongside this, registered participants get streamlined access to a local bank account, a Georgian tax identification number (TIN), and a support network through Enterprise Georgia’s partner network.

Crucially, the programme is aimed at people who earn income from foreign sources — meaning your clients or employer are based outside Georgia. You are not competing for local jobs. You are spending foreign-earned money inside Georgia, which is exactly what the government wants.

Who Qualifies: Eligibility Requirements Broken Down

The programme has three distinct eligibility filters. You need to pass all three.

Nationality and Entry Rights

You must be a citizen of a country that qualifies for Georgia’s visa-free regime or hold a valid Schengen, UK, or US visa or residence permit. The full current list is maintained by the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but in practice, citizens of EU member states, the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and most Latin American countries qualify without any additional visa step. Citizens of countries that do not have visa-free access to Georgia can still participate but must obtain a Georgian visa first.

Income Source Requirement

Your income must come from outside Georgia. This can mean:

• Employment with a foreign company where you work remotely
• Freelance or consulting contracts with foreign clients
• Income from a foreign-registered business you own
• Digital product sales, SaaS revenue, or similar sources based abroad

Income earned from Georgian clients or employers does not count toward the programme’s qualifying income and is taxed differently. If you have a mixed client base, you can still participate — you simply declare the Georgian-source income separately.

Minimum Income Threshold

As of 2026, the programme requires demonstrated monthly income of at least USD 2,000 (approximately 5,400 GEL at current rates). You prove this with bank statements, employment contracts, or invoices from the three months prior to application. This threshold has not changed since 2024, though Enterprise Georgia has clarified that average monthly income over the three-month period is acceptable — you do not need to hit exactly USD 2,000 every single month.

Step-by-Step Application Process

The process is entirely online for the initial application. Physical presence in Georgia is required only for finalising your bank account and tax registration, both of which happen after approval.

1. Create an account on remotelyfromgeorgia.ge. You will need a valid email address and a phone number for two-factor verification.
2. Complete the application form. This covers your personal details, nationality, income source type, and intended length of stay. Be precise about your income category — mismatched declarations are the most common reason for delays.
3. Upload supporting documents. Required documents include your passport (bio-data page), three months of bank statements showing income, and either an employment contract or a portfolio of client invoices. All documents must be in Georgian, English, or accompanied by a certified translation.
4. Wait for Enterprise Georgia review. In 2026, standard processing time is 10 to 15 working days. A fast-track option exists for a fee of around 200 GEL and brings this down to 5 working days.
5. Receive your approval letter. This is emailed to you and serves as your programme confirmation. It is not a visa — you still enter Georgia under the standard visa-free regime or with whatever visa you hold.
6. Arrive in Georgia and complete in-person steps. Within 30 days of arrival you must visit the Revenue Service to register as an Individual Entrepreneur, obtain your TIN, and register for the 1% small business tax status. Most participants also open a Georgian bank account at this stage, which the approval letter helps facilitate significantly.

The in-person Revenue Service visit takes roughly two to three hours on a typical weekday. Bring your passport, approval letter, and proof of Georgian address (a rental contract works fine). The TIN is issued the same day.

Tax Status and the 1% Small Business Regime

This is where the programme’s real value lies. Georgia’s Individual Entrepreneur small business tax status lets qualifying remote workers pay just 1% tax on annual turnover up to 500,000 GEL (approximately USD 185,000 at 2026 exchange rates). Above that threshold, the rate changes — so if your income is well above this, you will need to discuss your structure with a local accountant.

Under this regime, you declare your income quarterly and pay 1% of gross receipts. There is no separate income tax, no payroll tax, and no social contributions are mandatory for foreign-earning IEs in this category. VAT is also not applicable unless your turnover exceeds 100,000 GEL in any 12-month calendar period — for most remote workers this is not a concern.

What you must do:

• File quarterly income declarations through the Revenue Service online portal (rs.ge)
• Pay the 1% tax within the quarter’s deadline (20th of the month following the quarter end)
• Keep records of invoices and income receipts — the Revenue Service can audit
• Notify the Revenue Service if your income drops below the programme’s qualifying threshold for an extended period

The critical caveat: this tax status covers Georgian tax obligations. It does not automatically resolve your tax obligations in your home country. Many countries — including Germany, the Netherlands, and Australia — have tax residency rules that may still apply to you depending on how long you have been away and whether you have broken home-country tax residency. Get advice from a cross-border tax professional before assuming you have eliminated your home-country tax burden.

2026 Budget Reality: True Cost of Living and Working from Georgia

Georgia remains one of the most cost-effective countries in Europe’s wider neighbourhood for remote workers, but costs have risen meaningfully since 2022. Here is an honest breakdown based on 2026 figures.

Accommodation (Monthly Rent)

• Budget: A studio in a central Tbilisi district, older Soviet-era building — 800–1,100 GEL per month
• Mid-range: A one-bedroom apartment in a newer building in Tbilisi — 1,400–2,200 GEL per month
• Comfortable: A modern two-bedroom in Tbilisi’s central districts or a sea-view apartment in Batumi — 2,500–4,000 GEL per month
• Kutaisi remains significantly cheaper: comparable mid-range apartments run 900–1,400 GEL per month

Daily Living Costs

• Groceries for one person per month: 400–700 GEL depending on diet and how often you shop at international supermarkets
• Eating out: a solid local meal costs 15–30 GEL; a mid-range restaurant dinner runs 60–120 GEL
• Public transport in Tbilisi: a metro or bus journey costs 1 GEL; monthly card approximately 40 GEL
• Utilities (electricity, water, internet) in a one-bedroom apartment: 150–280 GEL per month in summer, up to 380 GEL in winter due to heating

Total Monthly Budget Estimates

• Budget solo worker: 2,200–2,800 GEL per month (covers rent, food, transport, utilities, and basic health insurance)
• Mid-range solo worker: 3,500–5,000 GEL per month (comfortable apartment, eating out regularly, occasional travel)
• Comfortable lifestyle: 5,500–8,000 GEL per month (premium apartment, full health cover, frequent dining out, domestic travel)

Health Insurance: What You Need and What It Costs

Georgia does not have universal public healthcare for foreign nationals. If you get sick or injured, you pay unless you have insurance. This is not optional in any practical sense — a single hospital admission in Tbilisi can run 2,000–8,000 GEL without cover.

The Remotely from Georgia programme does not mandate a specific insurance policy, but you should treat health cover as a firm requirement. There are three realistic options in 2026:

International Travel/Expat Policies

Policies from providers like Cigna Global, Allianz Care, or SafetyWing (Nomad Insurance tier) cover you across multiple countries including Georgia. SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance runs approximately USD 56–80 per month depending on age and home country. These policies are popular because they follow you when you travel outside Georgia. Coverage limits and exclusions vary significantly — read the fine print on pre-existing conditions.

Local Georgian Health Insurance

Georgian insurers including Aldagi, Imedi L, and GPI Holding offer local policies starting from around 600–900 GEL per year for basic outpatient and emergency cover. More comprehensive plans with hospitalisation, dental, and specialist access run 1,800–3,500 GEL per year. Local policies are often better value for people staying more than three months, though they typically only cover treatment within Georgia.

Combined Approach

Many experienced programme participants use a local Georgian policy for day-to-day and emergency cover, plus a lightweight international policy for coverage during trips outside Georgia. This combination typically costs 200–350 GEL per month total and provides solid protection on both fronts.

What Has Changed Since 2024

Several meaningful updates have reshaped the programme between 2024 and 2026.

Portal upgrade: The original application system was widely criticised for poor English-language support and slow document review. The rebuilt portal launched in late 2025 has cut average processing time from four to six weeks down to ten to fifteen working days.

Banking access improvement: Opening a Georgian bank account was a major frustration for programme participants until 2024. TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia both now have dedicated non-resident remote worker onboarding streams that accept the Enterprise Georgia approval letter as sufficient proof of economic purpose. Accounts can be opened with a same-day appointment in most cases.

New direct flight routes: Kutaisi International Airport added direct routes from several Western European cities in 2025, making it easier to reach western Georgia without transiting Tbilisi. This has increased interest in Kutaisi as a lower-cost base for programme participants.

Tax guidance clarification: The Revenue Service issued updated guidance in early 2026 explicitly confirming that income from foreign cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset platforms qualifies under the 1% regime, provided it comes from non-Georgian sources. This had previously been an area of ambiguity.

E-visa simplification: For nationals who require a visa rather than qualifying for visa-free entry, Georgia simplified its e-visa system in 2025. Processing is now fully online, takes five working days, and costs USD 20 for a 30-day single-entry visa. Participants on the Remotely from Georgia programme who need a visa can apply for longer-stay multiple-entry visas through the MFA once registered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my family with me under the Remotely from Georgia programme?

The programme itself applies only to the primary applicant. However, family members from visa-free countries can enter and stay in Georgia for up to 365 days under the standard visa-free regime without needing separate programme registration. They do not receive programme tax benefits unless they qualify and apply individually.

Do I need to stay in Georgia continuously for the full year?

No. The 365-day visa-free period resets each time you leave and re-enter Georgia, though there is no formal mechanism to extend beyond one year without departing. Many participants do short trips to neighbouring countries and re-enter. There is no minimum stay requirement under the programme, but your IE tax status requires at least basic ongoing activity and quarterly declarations.

Can I work for a Georgian company while on this programme?

The programme is specifically designed for people earning income from foreign sources. Working as a local employee for a Georgian company sits outside the programme’s structure and would require standard local employment arrangements with Georgian payroll tax obligations. The two setups are separate and mixing them complicates your tax position.

What happens if my income drops below the USD 2,000 per month threshold?

Temporarily dropping below the threshold does not immediately cancel your programme registration or Individual Entrepreneur status. However, if your income consistently falls below the minimum over several months, Enterprise Georgia may contact you for clarification. Your IE status and 1% tax regime remain active independently, even if your programme participation status changes.

Is the 1% tax rate guaranteed long-term, or could it change?

The 1% small business regime is part of Georgian tax law, not a temporary programme-specific concession. It has been stable since its introduction. That said, no tax rate is permanently guaranteed by any government — it is a legislative rate subject to future parliamentary decisions. As of 2026, there are no announced plans to change it, and it remains a genuine competitive advantage of Georgian tax policy.

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📷 Featured image by Alex Kotliarskyi on Unsplash.